


Redecorating

by Linorien



Series: Twin Tales [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Camelot Remix Eligable, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, reflective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22537501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linorien/pseuds/Linorien
Summary: Arthur takes a walk to look at the hidden collection of portraits of his mother.Can be read separate from rest of series.
Relationships: Ygraine de Bois & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Twin Tales [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1228421
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	Redecorating

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus story #1

It was an older corridor in the castle that very few people ever saw. It was down on the lower levels and actually within the vaults. That was another thing most people didn’t realise. There was more to the vaults than just one large room behind bars. If you moved aside a curtain in the far corner there was a low doorway that brought you into short zigzag tunnel before opening up to a wide, spacious corridor. 

Arthur had a theory that it was an old siege tunnel. You could get people in here before the invaders came and then they would be forced through a bottleneck. There was even a large cavern with a river flowing through it if you walked far enough. The river probably would lead outside. 

It was currently where his father had stashed the portraits of Ygraine. 

He had had them all moved here the day after his mother died. The day after Arthur was born. His nurse said Uther had been in an absolute rage when he found the one that had been overlooked in the antechamber to the Great Hall. 

Arthur looked at the portraits that had been lovingly hung on the walls. It was clear that even in her absence, the people of Camelot loved her. One of the portraits was a charcoal sketch not even in a frame, just unrolled and nailed to the wall. It wasn’t signed. One of the townsfolk must’ve made it and the servants placed it here. 

The last time he’d been here was maybe twenty years ago and he was just trying to explore. Now he really paid attention to the portraits. In every one of them, Ygraine was smiling. Her dark brown hair was often curled, but sometimes pleated. One picture had her eyes as brown, but everywhere else they were blue. Just like his. Some, Uther was in as well. One looked to have been commissioned for Ygraine’s wedding, another for her coronation. Both had extravagant arrangements of flowers behind her and a peacock in the lower right: the symbol of the de Bois family. 

One Arthur spent a long time looking at was one of Ygraine when she was younger. One with her and her sisters. The plaque helpfully provided details. Morgause was 15 and standing tall with an ocean blue dress, her auburn hair whipping wildly in the wind. Around her hands glittered purple lights, and Arthur wondered if his aunt possessed magic. Elayne, 10, was standing in the middle, her small hands cupping a blue butterfly gently. Perhaps both of them could. It may explain why he’d never met either of them. Although there was something in Morgause’s wild grin that looked familiar. 

Then, on the right, Ygraine at age 8 stood with her hair falling in two long braids, a golden dog sitting at her feet, and baby fat still around her missing tooth smile. She looked ready to run right out of the frame, unable ot be contained. The same restless energy that Arthur felt these days, stuck behind his desk or in the council chambers when he would rather be galloping across the countryside, or even training with the knights. He didn’t think he would ever understand how his father remained sitting on his throne most of the day. He guessed that Ygraine probably hadn’t either. 

Arthur decided he would have this painting brought up to his chambers and hung where he could see it from his desk. It was a shame to hide such artwork down here. It was his castle now. He might also see if someone could find record of his aunts. He would like to meet them even just once. 

Arthur continued to walk down the corridor, his torch held high and glinting off the gilded frames. There were more in the back that were only sketches. Some actually were placed around a hitching post or spool coming out of the wall. Arthur placed his torch in a bracket on the opposing wall and lifted one off the spool. The tag on the string read ‘Second draft. Master Fitzroy. Queen and child.’ An unfinished commision. He undid the knot and carefully unfurled the parchment.

He stared. He forgot to breathe. It was beautiful. Buried here, part all the oil paintings and large color portraits, this simple sketch felt the most like his faint memory of his mother. 

It was a moment captured in time. Possibly the only time his mother had held him in her arms. Her eyes were full of love, and adoration, and pride as she smiled down at him. And it was silly, but in that moment he felt her love swell within him. Like the drawing of his mother wasn’t looking at the child version on him on the parchment, but the current version of him standing in awe.

It felt the same as the cave of flowers where he had spoken with the spirit of his mother. Perhaps this sketch had a little bit of magic within it. He wondered if that was why Master Fitzroy was no longer the royal painter. 

Arthur rolled the sketch back up, tied it shut, and then grabbed his torch. He would send someone else for a couple of the other paintings, but this one he wanted close by until a frame could be made. It was time to start making the castle the way he wanted it. And that meant bringing the Queen Mother back in the only way he could.


End file.
